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The Slovakian Government is intending to focus on accelerating the country’s highway construction programme. Regular updates on progress are intended help ensure the programme remains on schedule. Slovakia’s budget involves €11-12 billion in financing, with a significant portion being used for infrastructure development. The new highway links will improve transport connections between the country’s major towns and cities, as well as addressing existing traffic congestion at certain points of the current net

The project for an elevated toll road link in the Philippines has been awarded. The new Taguig Express Way (MTEX) will be constructed in the capital Manila jointly by Indonesian firm Wijaya Karya (Wika) and Citra Marga Nusaphala Persada. The project for the 18.2km MTEX link is costing US$832.8 million. This stretch will connect the Metro Manila Expressway and Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3 with Makati, Manila and Pasig City.

The Canadian province of Quebec tendered this month for expansion of the Pie-IX Boulevard bus rapid transit system between the cities of Laval and Montreal. The provincial government will contribute US$304 million out of which around $23 million will be for 28 new buses, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Construction of the 11km stretch could start by October with completion in 2022. Pie-IX Boulevard, named after Pius IX, a Catholic pope, is a major thoroughfare on the island of M

Russia is establishing a new transport infrastructure fund. This is being set up jointly by the Ministry of Finances (MoF) and the Ministry of Economic Development (MeD). The fund is intended to top 3% of Russia’s GDP and should be in place within a six year period. The fund will target PPP projects in the transport sector, with financing being generated through selling bonds.

Financing from the World Bank will help pay for bridge building work in Nepal. The road from Muglin to Narayanghat is being widened currently, which will see the route featuring a lane in either direction, rather than the single lane that carries all traffic at present. This will boost its capacity and reduce delays to drivers on the route, which carries around 20,000 vehicles/day. Improving the 36km, north-south route however requires the construction of 18 new bridges. Much of the route is already surface

Drivers could pay as little as US$1 to use Seattle’s 2.7km Alaskan Way tunnel when it opens, likely by the end of the year. The Washington State Department of Transportation, owner of the tunnel, are considering several rates depending on time of day and day of week, according to local media. The DoT said funding for the $3.2 billion viaduct replacement programme comes from state, federal and local sources as well as the Port of Seattle and tolls on drivers using the tunnel. The money will fund tunnel

Slovakia said it will tender this year for the 14km R2 expressway linking Roznava and Jablonov nad Turnov with completion likely in 2024. Slovakia's transport minister Arpad Ersek said construction could start by Q3 2019. R2 is a 360km route that will run from Kosice in the east across the country to Trenčín, near the Czech border in the west. It will pass through Bánovce nad Bebravou, Prievidza and Lučenec. Roznava is an economic and tourist centre around 70km from Kosice.

The Government of Romania will build three motorway segments through a public-private partnership. The motorway segments in question are the 109km long Ungheni-Iasi-Targu Neamt segment, which will have a bridge built over the river Prut, the 100km long Rasnov-Brasov-Ploiesti motorway section, and the 550km long motorway segment between Alexandria and Lugoj.

Chinese automobile manufacturer BYD is supplying an order for 500 all-electric dump trucks from customers in China’s Shenzen area. The T10ZT models are said to be able to travel 280km on a single charge and feature 10.6m3 capacity dump bodies. The machines can be fully-charged in just 90 minutes and the deal also includes supplying both fixed and mobile fast-charging systems for both customers.

A new bridge is to be constructed in Russia that will span the Chusovaya River. The project is expected to cost in excess of US$241 million to carry out. The bridge will measure in excess of 9km-long. The cost of the project will be split between the Russian Federal Government, the Regional Government and the concession firm awarded the deal. The project will be carried out by the Perm Concession Company. The package of works includes rebuilding access roads. The concession package was awarded by the Federa